Wisconsin’s power rushing attack will offer stiff test for Arizona State defense

Last week’s opener against lower-division Sacramento State showed Arizona State has multiple offensive weapons, but it did little to prove the Sun Devils have the potential to reach their lofty goals.

This week, that won’t be the case.

High-scoring, quick-tempo offenses are the rage in college football, but national success still boils down to rush defense. Last season, ASU struggled stopping the run, giving up 182.9 yards per game, which ranked 10th in the Pac-12 and 81st nationally. All spring, summer and fall the Sun Devils focused on this, striving to become more physical and better disciplined.

In Saturday’s nationally televised home showdown against No. 20 Wisconsin, they get a first chance to see how far they’ve come. Although the Badgers have a new coaching staff, their strength remains power rushing. Through two games, in easy victories against Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech, they average 390 rushing yards, which ranks third in the nation.

“We’re probably not going to play a better running football team,” ASU coach Todd Graham said.

It’s no secret: To reach an elite level, teams have to stop the run. Last season, all eight schools that played in BCS bowl games ranked among the nation’s top 50 in rushing defenses. The past four BCS national champions ranked in the top 10. Since 2000, no team has even played for a national title with a rushing defense that ranked below 44th nationally.

In that sense, the Sun Devils have a long way to go, and much to prove.

Last season, Graham’s first in Tempe, ASU ranked among the nation’s best in several categories but struggled against the rush. The Sun Devils didn’t have much size up front. They lacked depth. Fans got a glimpse of this in Week 2 when Illinois rushed for 231 yards inside Sun Devil Stadium.

The Fighting Illini were one of six opponents who rushed for 200-plus against the Sun Devils. ASU was 3-3 in those games, finishing with eight wins and a trip to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. This year, the Sun Devils want more.

Throughout his career, Graham has played a hybrid defense that specializes in attacking the quarterback. His teams have ranked among the nation’s best in these categories, but they’ve also fared well in stopping the run.

In his last three years at Tulsa, Graham’s rushing defenses ranked 37th, 63rd and 34th nationally. In 2011 at Pittsburgh, the Panthers ranked 21st, allowing just 116.9 rushing yards per game. This season, Graham said the Sun Devils should be better for two reasons: They’re more physical, and they’re deeper along the defensive line, where reserves Mo Latu and Davon Coleman are expected to help.

“I don’t think it’s something you do in a week,” Graham said of improving against the run. “We’ve been preparing for this all fall camp.”

Wisconsin’s power-running philosophy started with coach Barry Alvarez in the 1990s and has been passed down to Bret Bielema and Gary Andersen, hired from Utah State in December. The Badgers have had a top-15 rushing offense for five consecutive years. They have featured a 1,000-yard rusher for eight consecutive seasons, which ties Penn State for the nation’s longest active streak.

This year, they have three backs — sophomore Melvin Gordon, senior James White and freshman Corey Clement — averaging at least 125 yards per game. White is the leading active rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 2,823 career rushing yards.

For ASU, resistance starts with attitude.

“Willpower,” co-defensive coordinator Paul Randolph said. “You have to fundamentally want to stop the run. Everybody wants to pass rush. ‘Hey, let’s go chase the quarterback.’ But you have to mentally and physically want to stop the run. That’s where it starts.”

Note

ASU’s Sept. 21 game at Stanford will kick off at 4 p.m. and will be televised by Fox (Channel 10), the Pac-12 announced Monday.

Noteworthy: ASU is 16-14 all-time against teams from the Big Ten, 13-4 against Big Ten teams in games in Tempe. ... ASU is 2-1 all-time against Wisconsin. The Sun Devils lost 20-19 in 2010 in Madison, while sweeping a pair of games in 1967 and 1968.

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